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The Sri Lankans controlled their final warm-up before running into Australia as they recorded a 22-run victory over New South Wales

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2010Sri Lankans 4 for 167 (Jayawardene 59) beat New South Wales 2 for 100 (Khawaja 32*) by 22 runs on D/L method
ScorecardMahela Jayawardene was quick off the mark, racing to 59 in 35 balls•Getty ImagesThe Sri Lankans controlled their final warm-up before running into Australia as they recorded a 22-run victory over New South Wales in Sydney. After the visitors posted 4 for 167 from their 20 overs, the local innings was interrupted by rain – the target was reduced to 123 in 14 overs – and they finished at 2 for 100.The game started 15 minutes late because the Sri Lankans were caught in traffic on the way to the ground at Blacktown in western Sydney, but the captain Mahela Jayawardene quickly put on the accelerator after he won the toss. Jayawardene, who replaced the resting Kumar Sangakkara, raced to 59 in 35 balls as he and Tillakaratne Dilshan opened with 57 in 5.3 overs.Dilshan fell for 21 as the main batsmen found some decent practice ahead of Friday’s Twenty20 international against Australia in Perth. Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews both collected 24 while Chamara Kapugedera picked up 26 off 18. Brett Lee was upset to be overlooked by Australia this week, but did not impress in giving away 44 runs in his four overs, including being hit for six twice by Kapugedera.New South Wales started well in their reply but rain interrupted them at 0 for 32 after 3.3 overs. The offspinner Suraj Randiv then struck twice to halt the hosts’ momentum and finished with 2 for 13 off three.Daniel Smith was lbw for 13 and Phillip Hughes (30) departed after Randiv took a fine running catch off his own bowling. The assignment was too tough for the locals and Usman Khawaja was left unbeaten on 32.The Sri Lankans beat Queensland on Friday in a 50-over fixture before Sunday’s game in Sydney was washed out. The three-match ODI series begins in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Newcastle United are preparing to make a second bid for Atalanta’s Robin Gosens after their first offer was rejected, according to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

The report claims that Atalanta turned down an offer worth €30m (£25.1m) for their left wing-back, who has 18 months left on his contract. The Serie A outfit paid just over £1m to sign Gosens from Eredivisie club Heracles Almelo in 2017, and that has proved to be very shrewd recruitment.

Alas, Gosens hasn’t played since September, having sustained a hamstring injury in the early stages of a Champions League clash with Young Boys. The German then suffered a setback when he was on the verge of returning in November.

The latest

According to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are apparently ‘ready to return to the assault’ in the final week of the transfer window with an improved bid.

It’s unclear just how much they’ll need to pay in order to persuade Atalanta to part with Gosens.

The verdict

Gosens is hugely effective in that attacking role on the left flank. He has been directly involved in 50 goals (scored 29, set up 21) in his 157 appearances for Atalanta, and six goals (scored two, set up four) in his 13 Germany caps.

Fans might remember his masterclass in the 4-2 victory against Portugal at last summer’s European Championship, as he set up Kai Havertz before finding the net himself. It was also his shot which deflected in off Manchester City’s Ruben Dias for Germany’s first goal.

Sports journalist Josh Bunting dubbed it ‘one of the best individual performances’ at the tournament, while CBS Sports’ James Benge remarked that the 27-year-old was evading Portugal so easily that it was as if he was wearing an ‘invisibility cloak’, a reference to the Harry Potter books and films.

If Eddie Howe did get his hands on Gosens, he’d probably be most effective in the left midfield slot in the manager’s 4-4-2, with full licence to attack, as opposed to being restricted to the left-back position.

In other news, Newcastle are considering a swoop for this PL defender. 

Kamran Akmal, the Pakistan wicketkeeper, has said being dropped for the second Test against England at Edgbaston gave him an opportunity for reflection and assessment of his game

Cricinfo staff23-Aug-2010Kamran Akmal, the Pakistan wicketkeeper, has said being dropped for the second Test against England at Edgbaston gave him an opportunity to reflect on and assess his game. Kamran was dropped after a poor run with the bat and the gloves but returned for the third Test at The Oval after his replacement, Zulqarnain Haidar, was ruled out of the remainder of the tour due to a fractured finger.Kamran’s form has been under scrutiny for a long while now and he experienced an all-time low in the Sydney Test against Australia in 2009-10 when a series of lapses contributed to defeat in a Test Pakistan were poised to win. “There have been some technical issues with both the bat and the gloves,” Kamran told . “I have been looking at the batting issues with Ijaz Ahmed and more recently with Mohammad Yousuf. Missing the match at Edgbaston gave me the ideal opportunity to assess my game and it was the perfect time for some reflection.”Alec Stewart provided me with some tips on my wicketkeeping and I have been implementing Alec’s ideas and thoughts. In addition to Alec Stewart’s help, Paul Farbrace and Wasim Bari have also provided me with some advice and guidance on a couple of technical issues. I’ve taken on board all of the advice that has been given to me and it definitely paid dividends at the Oval.”Kamran had a rewarding game at The Oval, with eight catches in Pakistan’s four-wicket win. However, he has had a hard time with bat in the recent past; his scores in his last six innings read 15, 13, 0, 0, 10, 0. Kamran sought inspiration from Alastair Cook’s return to form. “All players suffer a bad spell in their career with the bat. Take a look at Alistair Cook who has been struggling with the bat of late, but he has bounced back with a century at The Oval. I will look at the way he has fought back with the bat as an inspiration and hope that I can do the same at Lord’s.”Pakistan are trailing the Test series 1-2, but Kamran backed his team to draw level, adding that the return of Mohammad Yousuf from retirement had made a major difference. “Yousuf’s introduction to the squad has made a huge difference to everyone’s morale and belief. He’s such an experienced campaigner and his calmness really rubs off on the rest of us. Amir’s in great form and Wahab Riaz bowled very well on debut. We’ll give it our best shot at Lord’s and I hope that we can level the series.”England and Pakistan play the final Test on August 26.

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side finally return to Premiership action later this evening, with Hibernian making the trip to Parkhead for the first fixture since the Scottish winter break.

The two sides met as recently as December 19, when the Bhoys saw off Hibs 2-1 at Hampden Park in the League Cup final – with Kyogo Furuhashi’s second-half brace ensuring that Postecoglou would pick up the first piece of silverware available during his short tenure as Celtic boss.

However, with the Hoops having already made four signings in the January transfer window, in addition to still being burdened by a number of injuries to important first-team players, the 56-year-old’s starting XI could look very different to the one that lined up in the Bhoys’ most recent league fixture against St. Johnstone.

So, how many changes will the Greek-Australian manager make to the side which started the 3-1 win over the Saints last time out? Here’s how we think Celtic could line up against Hibs, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Postecoglou looking to still be without the services of David Turnbull, Albian Ajeti, Giorgos Giakoumakis, James Forrest, Karamoko Dembele and Christopher Jullien due to injury, as well as suffering the recent blow of Kyogo Furuhashi’s unavailability, we predict that the 56-year-old will make a whopping six changes to his starting XI from the St. Johnstone victory.

The first of these comes between the Celtic sticks, with Vasilis Barkas dropping out of the side following the return of Joe Hart – who missed the Saints fixture due to fitness concerns.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/?post_type=web-story&p=664142″ title=”Check out the latest Celtic news!”]

There are a further two changes in the Bhoys backline, with Greg Taylor taking the place of Liam Scales at left-back, while Josip Juranovic drops back into right-back, with Stephen Welsh making way for the Croatia international.

In the middle of the park, despite impressing against St. Johnstone, the £14k-per-week Nir Bitton – who was once dubbed a “walking joke” by Bhoys Analytics – makes way for the return of club captain Callum McGregor at the base of Postecoglou’s three-man midfield, while Reo Hatate is handed his Celtic debut alongside Tom Rogic in the two more advanced central midfield roles – with the £19k-per-week James McCarthy having to once again make do with a spot on the bench.

Finally, there appears to be an extremely exciting return to first-team action on the cards for the £4.95m-rated Jota, who comes straight back into the side following his potential recovery from a hamstring injury, while there is a further Celtic debut handed to Daizen Maeda – who replaces his stricken international teammate Kyogo in leading the line for the Hoops.

In other news: Huge blow: Celtic dealt late injury setback ahead of Hibs, Postecoglou will be fuming

Flocking to Twitter, lots of Manchester City fans are buzzing over reports that Ajax manager Erik ten Hag is one of the names in the frame to succeed Pep Guardiola when the latter’s contract expires.

City fans will be struggling to picture life without Guardiola following the most successful period in the club’s history. During his five-and-a-half year stay at the Etihad Stadium, the Catalan native has lifted 10 trophies, having won every domestic competition on offer in England.

Therefore, it is undeniable that Guardiola has created a legacy in City’s history, and he will duly go down as one of the greatest managers of the Premier League era, having won the division three times and currently on course for a fourth title.

However, the possibility of him leaving the club could soon become a reality, as the 51-year-old’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2023. With Guardiola’s contract now into its final 18 months, City have been drawing up a list of potential successors to replace him.

Man City fans want Ten Hag

Independent fan page City Xtra shared the news from Simon Mullock of The Mirror, which claimed that one of the names being spoken about as a potential successor to Guardiola is Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman was in charge of Bayern Munich’s reserve teams when the current City boss was in first team charge at the Allianz Arena, while in Amsterdam he has won five trophies and led his team to the brink of the Champions League final in 2019.

As a result, many City supporters shared their excitement at the news from Mullock, with many fans hailing Ten Hag as the perfect replacement for Guardiola.

Here’s what some of them had to say:

“Only him. Not Potter, Not Arteta. Nobody else”

Credit: @MoSakoooo

“Let’s go. Another person to reject United and come to us. Manchester is blue”

Credit: @MCFC_BEN04

“Only one I would probably be happy with tbh”

Credit: @Cameron_MCFC_

“Bald for bald replacement. Don’t mind if I do (pls extend though Pep)”

Credit: @7Mcfcmax

“exactly what I want”

Credit: @Stonesologist_

“He would be a great fit after Pep’s departure”

Credit: @viveketernal

In other news: ‘We can reveal…’ – Sky Sports share live TV transfer development out of Man City

Rain denied Hampshire the chance to beat relegation rivals Essex after Ravi Bopara had lifted his team out of a potential implosion

07-Jun-2010
ScorecardRain denied Hampshire the chance to beat relegation rivals Essex after Ravi Bopara had lifted his team out of a potential implosion.Chasing a victory target of 328 in 75 overs, Essex were a perilous 16 for 4 until Bopara took control. In the end, the England man made 61 and Essex moved to 99 for 6 before the rain came with 24 overs remaining to spare them further loss.Hampshire began the day 235 for 6 in their second innings, captain Nic Pothas and Dominic Cork putting their team in a powerful position with a stand of 97 for the seventh wicket as Pothas completed a resolute 59. Pothas hit eight boundaries before calling in his players at 311 for seven in order to set Essex a tempting target.Maurice Chambers and Bopara each took two wickets but Essex were always struggling to contain the Hampshire batsman among whom veteran all-rounder Cork finished 41 not out at the declaration. Essex could not entertain any hope of a win of their own after a miserable start.Opener Tom Westley was bowled by James Tomlinson for one in the second over and in the next Cork knocked back Jaik Mickleburgh’s off stump. Essex slumped further when Matt Walker, who made 99 in the first innings, was caught in the slips off David Balcombe for three.And even worse was to follow two balls later when Ryan ten Doeschate was leg before to the same bowler. Only then did Bopara, showing his international pedigree, begin the recovery in a stand of 66 for the fifth wicket with James Foster.Bopara reached an imperious half century which he celebrated with a six off spinner Danny Briggs. But soon afterwards Briggs had his revenge when he trapped Bopara leg before with a delivery which kept low. Hampshire could sense victory at 99 when Foster, who had been dropped in the slips on seven, edged Sean Ervine into the same area where Jimmy Adams held the catch.Mark Pettini and Graham Napier was standing firm when rain intervened with Essex still 229 behind and facing a nervy spell to avoid defeat. Balcombe finished as Hampshire’s most successful bowler with 2 for 14 and there was a wicket each for Cork, Tomlinson, Ervine and Briggs. The premature end meant Hampshire had to be content with eight points, while Essex claimed the same despite their final-day struggles.

Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has told Mikey Johnston to seek a move to another club because he believes the winger doesn’t have ‘what it takes’ to succeed at Parkhead.

The lowdown

It’s not the first time McAvennie has questioned the 22-year-old. Back in October, he said that Johnston didn’t a long-term future at Celtic for the player he called a ‘part-timer’.

Having missed more than a month at the start of the season, the winger has only started three Premiership matches under Ange Postecoglou, although he has made eight appearances from the bench.

Johnston’s £7,900-per-week contract runs until the end of the 2024/25 season, and he is valued at £900,000 by Transfermarkt.

The latest

McAvennie has said that Johnston finds himself in limbo, being ‘too good for the bench’ but not at the level required to start for Celtic. The 62-year-old duly believes that the winger could be better suited, to the sides competing for European qualification rather than the Premiership title.

He told Football Insider: “I think if he went to Aberdeen or Hibs or Hearts, he would be a better player.

“I don’t think he has what it takes. He’s too good for the bench but not good enough for the first team.

“He’s a bit-part player and I don’t want a player like that at my club.”

The verdict

Is McAvennie’s assessment fair? Possibly – Johnston has often struggled to make an impact when given the chance.

The 22-year-old is yet to find the net this season despite taking 2.3 shots per game, with SofaScore listing finishing as one of his big weaknesses.

Worryingly for him, two of Celtic’s reported January targets – Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate – can play on the left wing. That may push him further down the pecking order under Postecoglou, so perhaps he should be asking his agent to seek out other opportunities if he can’t forge a consistent place in the Hoops’ first XI.

In other news, Celtic have been dealt a transfer blow over this Premiership ace

The fear of an early elimination from the tournament drove Chennai Super Kings to deliver their best all-round performance, that too against the table leaders

The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran31-Mar-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outKevin Pietersen scored 23 and conceded 26 in his first IPL game of the season•Indian Premier LeagueThe fear of an early elimination from the tournament drove Chennai Super Kings to deliver their best all-round performance, that too against one of the top teams in the tournament so far. Their propensity to choke despite being in a winning position, like against Kings XI Punjab, threatened to hurt them again in front of their home fans, but some late hitting from Suresh Raina complemented the solid foundation laid by his spinners and an attacking half-century by M Vijay. Chennai won with an over to spare and Royal Challengers Bangalore’s 161 wasn’t enough.It was a game that Chennai were always likely to win, after restricting Bangalore to a par score. Teams with in-form local players have been more successful than those without and Vijay was the difference today. An aggressive batsman who rarely plays ungainly strokes, Vijay finally delivered after failing to convert his starts in the earlier games. He showed glimpses of his abilities during a cameo against Rajasthan Royals before a run out cut short his innings, but today he was determined to go one step further, sometimes two or three, stepping down the pitch and carting the bowlers without sacrificing his style.Hayden, for once, had to ride on the passenger seat. At the end of three overs, he had faced just one ball for no runs. Vijay faced the other 17 and had already zipped to 37, 24 of those coming off a single over from Praveen Kumar. Vijay began with textbook boundaries, punching Praveen past cover and flicking Dale Steyn past square leg. Bangalore weren’t prepared for the explosion in the third over when Vijay opened fire. A short delivery was hooked for six, a slower one was dismissed over wide long-on, a leg-side delivery was worked past short fine leg and a length ball was clipped over deep square leg. Vijay’s footwork was complemented by his placement and a right dose of power.A worried Anil Kumble brought himself on in the fourth over and immediately checked the scoring, cutting back on pace and cramping the batsmen for room. A subdued Hayden sashayed down the pitch and was foxed by a googly. Kumble had conceded just nine off his first two overs, but support wasn’t forthcoming from the other end as the second spinner, Pietersen, got pasted.Vijay, who had reached his fifty off 29 balls in the eighth over, thumped three sixes off Pietersen over the on side, using his feet on each occasion. However, an ambitious attempt at a fourth led to his dismissal, scooping to wide long-on, and it was a moment of relief for Bangalore. Kumble continued to strangle the scoring after Vijay’s departure but a couple of quick wickets would have made it closer affair. Raina and MS Dhoni improvised, nudged balls in to the gaps and kept the asking-rate within manageable levels. But ambitious pulls from Dhoni and S Badrinath led to top edges and nearly altered the script. Raina, though, kept his cool and an inside-out scoop to a front foot no-ball from Vinay Kumar led to wild celebrations and relief in the Chennai camp.It was Chennai’s better bowling effort that set up the victory by preventing Bangalore from setting an impregnable target. Shadab Jakati said in an interview that the pitch was slow and had gripped. He and Muttiah Muralitharan conceded just 37 in eight overs.A half-century partnership between Jacques Kallis and Virat Kohli set Bangalore up for something bigger after Robin Uthappa threatened during a cameo, aided by yet another dropped catch. The drop cost Chennai 21 runs, and it brought Kallis and Kohli together for a stand of 63 for the third wicket. They focused on keeping wickets in hand and kept dropping the ball to pick up singles against the spinners. Murali bowled round the wicket to keep Kallis in check and Jakati fired the quicker ones at the stumps.The problem of full-tosses persisted for Chennai but ironically, it was that ball which helped break the partnership. Kohli chipped down the track to a full toss and scooped it straight to Vijay at long-on. It was the start of the best over the day, as Kallis tried to pinch a cheeky single to extra cover and was run out by a sharp pick up and throw by Raina. It turned out to be a double-wicket maiden for Chennai.Chennai, however, undid the good work by letting Cameron White and Pietersen share a brisk stand of 44 in 4.3 overs. White wrecked Thilan Thushara’s figures by making room and swatting him over the onside, before Pietersen walloped him over long off for a big six. The target of 162, as Kumble later said, was about 15 short of an ideal score. Bangalore remained at No.2 but Chennai moved up two spots to No.5.

Paul Harris, the South Africa left-arm spinner has been left out of the Nashua Titans line-up for the 2010-11 South African professional domestic season

Cricinfo staff07-Apr-2010Paul Harris, the South Africa left-arm spinner has been left out of the Titans line-up for the 2010-11 South African professional domestic season.”Paul has expressed a desire to participate in all formats of franchise cricket, including the MTN 40 and Standard Bank Pro20 competitions,” said Andy O’Connor, vice-chairman and head of the playing affairs portfolio of the Titans. “We understand Paul’s views, but given the personnel available to the Nashua Titans in the spin-bowling department, we are unfortunately unable to guarantee him a spot in our team in all versions of the game.”Harris has played 100 first-class matches for 333 wickets at an average of 30.81. He also has 47 List A wickets at 26.61 and 21 in the Twenty20 format at 21.19. In recent times, he has been South Africa’s first-choice Test spinner, with 87 wickets in 29 matches.”Although we are very sad to see Paul leave, we wish him both a fond farewell and all the very best for the future”, O’Connor said. “When Paul joined us a few seasons ago, he was participating in the Western Province B team and we are immensely proud to have played a part in his rise to selection at the Test level, where he has performed most admirably.”Harris thanked the Titans for their role in his career. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Titans, but feel that I should be competing in all available formats of the game. I wish the Nashua Titans every success in the future”, he said.

Flocking to Twitter, these West Ham United fans have erupted over a transfer update out of their club involving New York City FC striker Valentin Castellanos.

David Moyes’ continued hunt for a striker goes on nearly a year after the club sold club record signing Sebastien Haller to Ajax last January.

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Since then, the Scotsman has confirmed that bids have indeed been made and there have been no shortage of links to top class forwards – including the likes of Andrea Belotti and Arthur Cabral.

Michail Antonio’s injury record is always a concern for both Moyes and Irons supporters alike as The Daily Mail share news on yet another striker West Ham are eyeing.

According to their information, the club and transfer chief Rob Newman have now set their sights on MLS rising star Castellanos after his impressive 2021 in the Americas.

The 23-year-old played a major role in helping NYCFC to their first ever MLS Cup triumph, attracting attention from big clubs in Europe including the Hammers.

West Ham fans react…

Castellanos, even drawing admiration from Man City manager Pep Guardiola for his exploits this year, certainly comes with his perks – most notably a stunning 23-goal haul across 36 appearances in all competitions this year (Transfermarkt).

His fairly young age is also another factor with the Argentine ace possessing a fair bit of sell-on value, leaving little wonder why some of these supporters want him signed, with one even calling him ‘perfect’.

However, his lack of experience in a major European division could come as a fatal caveat to his credentials.

Indeed, if Moyes wishes to seal an ideal Antonio alternative, some fans believe they could do far better and should stick to more experienced strikers in more competitive leagues.

Find their mixed reactions to this striker news down below:

“would genuinely be one of the best signings of the moyes era if we get him. perfect west ham player”

Credit: @WHUFC_harry

“Would instantly be loved by our supporters. Strong, fast, plays with an attitude, and annoys every other fan base tremendously.”

Credit: @robertsdaniel

“No way we’re looking at mls players”

Credit: @NoContextWalker

“Oooooooo”

Credit: @baphap01

“A new name”

Credit: @Irons_Stuff

“As someone who follows MLS, he is not premier league quality, yet. He has massive potential, so I’d be ok with it for the future. But West Ham needs someone who is proven in bigger leagues…”

Credit: @devinweisbarth

In other news: West Ham now willing to pay asking price to sign colossal 47-goal forward, find out more here.